Trouble in the Turtle Lair
by AJRennerTMNT76
Summary: "This is what I have to live with." - Master Splinter (2003; Shredder Strikes Back Part 2) Master Splinter is always complaining about the things he has had to deal with when living with his four ninja trained sons. Though he has always stressed the rule of obedience and respecting a Master's wishes, he has to always remember that they will always be: kids.


**Each chapter will be in a separate location of the lair so you might just wanna check out the chapter names so that things will make a little more sense. After each line break, it's like a completely new story. **

**Review and enjoy!**

I waited. It seemed like hours. It probably was. The unknown was killing me from the inside out. Did I still have a chance? Would I manage to catch it? Would he make it in time? It was a nail biting wait and I meditated impatiently. My eye twitched from the ambiguity and stress.

I rapped my knuckles against the bathroom door with a towel and toothbrush in hand, "My son, Michelangelo! Hurry up in there! You know the hot water doesn't last forever!"

Michelangelo opened the door and steam came out. He had a towel around his waist and one around his head. He wasn't wearing his mask, "Sensei, you can't rush me."

"Why do you need two towels?" I demanded.

"To keep me dry, sensei." Michelangelo put one hand on the back of his neck and one hand on his hip, "I look amazing don't I?"

I put my hand over my eyes and hit my youngest son on the head with my staff, "No."

"Don't worry, sensei, I'm done."

"Good."

I took a step forward and before I actually went into the bathroom, Donatello jumped into the bathroom, followed by Leonardo and Raphael. I put my hands on my hips and glared at them.

"Excuse us, sensei!" Donatello cried from inside.

"Coming through, sensei!" Raphael pushed me out of the way.

"Sorry, sensei." Leonardo apologised and ran inside.

I cleared my throat, "What do you think you're doing, my sons?"

"Going to the bathroom." Donatello put his hand on the door.

"And what do you think I'm doing?" I asked.

Raphael scratched his head, "Standing in front of the bathroom door."

I sighed as the door was slammed shut. _Looks like I'll be getting the cold water, again. _ The bathroom door open and my sons rushed out, charging for the exit at the same time. I rushed towards them in an effort to stop them but I was too late. They were stuck in the doorway. Their shells had barricaded the door and they were now stuck. I slapped all of their heads and they groaned.

"Do you remember, my sons, how long it took us to get you unstuck?" I said with surprising relaxed tone.

"Nope." they said in unison.

I whacked the back of their heads once more, "Two hours. You're stuck there for two hours. Since I'm not exactly in a good mood, I'll wait thirty minutes until I lift a finger to help you."

* * *

I couldn't think. The sound was unbearable. Michelangelo shoved his head under the cushions on the couch in an effort to block out the noise. I wore ear muffs and Donatello used some sort of high tech headphones that effectively blocked out all noise. Leonardo somehow tolerated it. My ears felt like they were on fire; the eardrums were about to burst.

I covered my ears with my hands, "Leonardo, stop it!"

Leonardo looked at me, "But there's nothing wrong, Master."

"Um…Leo," Donatello gestured to me and Michelangelo, "Our brains are melting from it. However, Mikey's has not been effected."

"Hey! I heard that!"

I knocked on his head, "Then you're not covering your ears well enough."

Donatello pulled out his earplugs, "These ear plugs aren't working!"

"Meditate, my sons!" I ordered. We gathered together with our hand over our ears, "Block out the sound. Breathe."

There was a screech and I fell to my knees, desperately trying to block out the sound. Everyone, including Leonardo were in great pain as the screech continued.

"Leo!" Donatello yelled, "You're the eldest, and the leader! Do something!"

"Stop it!" Michelangelo shrieked.

Clunk covered his sensitive ears and burrowed under the papers on Donatello's desk. I shut my eyes tight as sound filled my head.

The pain.

"Leonardo!" I gripped my staff, "Help us!"

Leonardo threw his katana to the bathroom doors. They embedded themselves into the wood. The sound stopped abruptly and the door was opened. Raphael with a towel around his waist emerged, water dripping down his face. Steam rolled out of the open door.

"Raph!" Leonardo barked.

"What?" he demanded, "Can't you see I'm in the middle of something?"

"Stop singing in the shower!"

"Why, what's wrong?"

Donatello looked up and removed my hands from my ears, "I'm sorry, Raph, could you repeat that question? I think my eardrums burst from your performance in there."

There was a weak 'meow' and Clunk limped out of his hiding place. He stood and lifted up his head to look at Raphael, then collapsed onto his side.

Donatello scooped him up, "Now you've done it, Raph. Clunk's knocked out cold."

"Why?" Raphael scratched his head, "What'd I do?"

"You hit the high note and possibly broke all glass objects in New York City, and a small portion of New Jersey." Michelangelo removed the pillow on his head.

"No singing. No singing. No singing. No singing, Raphael!" I removed my earmuffs.

Leonardo pulled out his katana, "Okay, new rule. RAPH IS NOT ALLOWED TO SING IN THE SHOWER."

* * *

It was happening again. The same as yesterday and the day before, and the day before. I could remember it clearly and I wasn't liking it.

Over, over, and over again I had painfully gone through the same thing.

A wise person once said that practice makes perfect. Well this wise rat says rigorous practice and training is good…depending on what you are practicing.

Michelangelo had turned the television on high volume until the theme song of his TV show was stuck in my head.

_# When there's trouble you know who to call, Teen Titans_

_From their tower they can see it all, Teen Titans_

_When there's evil on the attack_

_You can rest knowing they got your back_

_'Cause when the world needs heroes on patrol #_

"BORING." he sang and changed the channel.

_# They're the world's most fearsome fighting team (We're really hip!)_

_They're heroes in a half-shell and they're green (Hey - get a grip!)_

_When the evil Shredder attacks_

_These Turtle boys don't cut him no slack! #_

Michelangelo bobbed his head, "Oh yeah. Oh yeah. I'm really feeling it."

Donatello murmured something about improving memory through repetition, similar to how the children of the Victorian era studied. Raphael was blocking out the sound by blocking and dodging the flying pillows that Michelangelo was throwing at him from the couch.

"Kiai!"

"Think fast, Raphie-boy. Catch!" Michelangelo threw the pillow over his shoulder while he stared at the screen. A superhero standing with his hands on his hips and his cape flying in the wind appeared on the screen. My son squealed, "Oh my gosh, he is so cool! Master Splinter, you've gotta let me get his limited edition action figure. You've just gotta. Oh, please!"

I cleared my throat impatiently, "I have other problems on my hands, my son, other than comic books and action figures."

"It is a new day. A time for - "

"Make it stop, make it stop!"

I predicted the next lines in my head. Donatello rolled his eyes and curled his lip, "Leo, keep it down in there ya big bone head! You know that some people in New Jersey are trying to remember other things other than Space Heroes."

"Oh yeah." Raphael said sarcastically, "Best banter ever. Nice comeback, bro."

"Gentlemen, I have a bold and daring plan. There is no time for hesitation. My orders must be carried out without question!"

"Sir, yes, sir!" Michelangelo saluted and was rewarded by a smack from his red masked brother and a pillow getting shoved into his face.

"Not you too."

* * *

A ninja adapts to change in their environment. I had spent years telling that to my sons, teaching them the way of the ninja and the code of Bushido or 'the way of the warrior'. Honour was the most important thing for a ninja to fight for, other than victory and coming home alive.

I believe my honour is gone as I stand in the mess of - whatever was standing in front of me.

"He's confused." Leo reasoned with his brothers.

"Just give him a chance. It's been a while since he last something anything like it. It took me weeks to do. I hope he likes it though."

"In the nicest was possible, Donnie, he doesn't exactly share an - appreciation - of your interests."

"What is wrong with my interests?" he demanded.

"A lot of things." Raphael grumbled.

"Watch it, shell brain. At least I'm interested in something other than going berserk on the streets of New York with Casey Jones, joy riding on the Stealth Bike which I have to fix every time you bring it home!"

"At least I'm not a nerd."

"Oh, real mature, Raphael."

"Silence, my sons!" I called from the inside of the bathroom, "I am trying to concentrate!"

I scratched my chin and stared at the confusing colours and wonders before me. I continued scratching my chin, unsure what to do. It must have been several minutes that passed as I stared at the metal box.

"What do I do?" I murmured.

There was a banging on the door that replied, "Master Splinter, with all due respect," Leonardo said in a gentle voice but continued with an impatient tone, "Hurry up in there!"

I tapped the butt of my staff on the tiled bathroom floor, "Hold on a moment, my sons. Find the patience within you."

I heard a snicker from my son Michelangelo, "Like that's going to happen."

Lifting my staff above my shoulder I hit my staff against the door and there was a yelp from the other side. I scratched my chin once more and the door behind me opened. Donatello marched in and followed my gaze.

"You press the red button that says 'ON', Master Splinter. That's the first thing that you have to do." my purple masked son pointed to the button, "Then you flip this switch and that turns on this. Then you have to make sure…"

I watched his fingers dance over the new instalment in the bathroom which I still did not know how to work. There was still an untouched manual set aside on my tatami matt.

I sighed and whispered under my breath, "I am not touching that."

**Disclaimer: AJRennerTMNT76 does not own Teen Titans or TMNT theme song lyrics.**

**I know my instructions at the beginning were pretty pathetic but I didn't know how to put it without putting a massive 'SPOILER ALERT!' heading on it. So, I'm hoping that you could kind of understand what I meant about the line breaks.**

**Since you're all such smart people, you would have figured out that the first part was focused on Mikey, then it was Raph, then Leo, and then finally, Donnie. **

**Hope it wasn't TOO confusing for you.**

**AJRennerTMNT76 signing off.**


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